You know what is the first sign of a good pair of gloves is? That it makes you want to ride more than you already do. This time, I didn’t actually know I had a good pair, but honestly, how often has Viaterra gotten it wrong? So, just as someone turned up the thermostat on the sun, I found myself on my off-road playground not once, but thrice in the same week. That’s three sub-40 degree days in the dirt, totalling about 12 hours, all in the name of finding out how good (or not) the Viaterra Roost off-road gloves really are. Investigative journalism isn’t easy, okay?
To be honest, the first time I pulled the Roosts on, I wasn’t a fan. The inseam on the index and little finger fouled a fair bit and I thought I’d set myself up for a tricky day. A little persistence saw me swing a leg over my bike, though, and that itchy feeling somewhat disappeared in a few minutes. The Roost is meant to be a purpose built off-road glove, which means it’s designed to offer grip, comfort, very unfiltered feedback, a high degree of breathability and, of course, protection. Save for the last bit (I hope to never find out), the Roost seems to offer everything else quite well! Half an hour into my off-road warm up drill, I didn’t realise I had gloves on – the Roost simply became second skin. Don’t you love that about a glove?
Of course, I must tell you it’s constructed using perforated stretch textile on the back (or is it the front?) and perforated microfiber Amara suede on the palm, but what it means is that it’s super breathable, while also being quite robust. So far, in the half a dozen times I’ve used it, there’s been no deterioration. Protection is fairly simple – CE Level 2 rated armour on the knuckles, EVA reinforced panels on the palms, and a little extra cushion on the outer side of the little finger. The index and middle fingers get silicone accents – for grip – and the index finger tips are touchscreen sensitive. That last bit is particularly useful because I’ve gotten into the habit of rigorously documenting my off-road exploits of late.
To summarise, the Viaterra Roost is a very good pair of gloves to own in the entry-level off-road space. It’s priced temptingly low, lets you have fun and can save you some trouble – or at least it feels so!
Where: Viaterragear.com
Price: Rs 3299
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